One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
by poorcuepine
Summary: This is a continuation of CHANGES. More fluff less action.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi Everyone! Hope you are having a great summer (or winter depending on hemisphere). I apologize for taking so long to follow up but I have a special treat for you. With all the time I took, this story is complete and I will be uploading it all today. I hope you enjoy. If you do not, please let me know what I can do to improve. **

**DISCLAIMER – I DO NOT OWN CHASE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS.**

**One Step Forward, Two Steps Back**

Marshal Annie Frost had been in the hospital for a week now. The infected gunshot wound to her leg seemed to be healing properly though it still needed to be cleaned and bandaged daily. The surgery to put a plate on her cracked orbital bone had been successful but the bruising was still dark and disturbing.

She had been given permission to walk with the assistance of a nurse but Annie just couldn't wait until a nurse was available. She was going stir crazy in her hospital bed and was desperate for some sort of change of view. She needed to get moving.

When her cell phone rang she grabbed it up happy for the distraction. "Hello?"

"Annie, it's Daisy. 59 is going to drive me crazy! Can you get a nurse to bring you downstairs so he can see you?"

Annie grinned and her whole face lit up. She had missed her dog desperately and so far, had only been able to wave out the window at him from her wheel chair. "I will be right down…"

She heard Daisy start, "with a nurse, right? An…" but Annie hung up and pushed the covers off her legs grimacing.

She carefully lifted herself out of bed reaching for the mobile IV pole with one arm as she shuffled toward the door to get her robe on. The linoleum floor was cold on her feet so she shuffled back to get her slippers on. She was in a real mood and she wanted to stomp her feet. She wanted to have a fit. She wanted to see her dog and run and run and run and run.

But she couldn't run with her bum leg so she continued shuffling out the door of her room… down the hall… past her neighbor's room.

He didn't even look up from his sports pages to know she had limped by. His deep voice didn't have to strain to be heard. "Annie where are you goin'?" Annie froze in the door and felt like she had been busted. He continued. "They are letting me go home today. You want me to get 59 and take him home with me?"

"Ugh! How did you know? I am going to go see him right now… " and dropped her head in silence. "Can you?"

Jimmy's grin peered around the paper and he started chuckling. "You pouting because you are going to miss me or your dog?"

"My dog" she left the doorway and continued down the hall.

"Annie, you will be home before you know it!" He called after her.

She needed to speed things up or her dog was going to be so worked up, he was going to knock her over. She headed determined toward the elevator. The silver doors called to her when suddenly they were blocked by those medical blue pants she had become quite familiar with.

"Annie?" Natalie stood in her path with her arms crossed.

She rolled her eyes at the doctor standing in her way but couldn't look her in the eye. Quietly but firmly she mustered, "I just want to see my dog, Natalie. I won't run away."

"Then I will get a nurse with a wheel chair" the familiar doctor shook her head and headed toward the Nurse's station. She continued mumbling, "why do you always have to push?"

Annie just stood there looking at the floor. She wanted to just go and not rely on anyone for help. Luckily a nurse appeared with the wheel chair almost immediately and Annie reluctantly sat down.

"Where are we headed?"She had not seen that the nurse was Maggie. The two women had become fast friends. She was so relieved that a huge grin spread across her face.

"Wanna meet my dog?" and she pointed at the elevators. "He is outside with Daisy. I haven't pet his head since I was taken the night Jimmy.. was.. walking.. him…" She ended her sentence quietly remembering that evening. The kidnapping had interrupted the start of her new relationship with Jimmy. Since the night they had rescued her, she had fought falling in love with him. She was no longer ready to take that step. She no longer felt comfortable trusting anyone but herself.

Her thoughts were immediately interrupted by Maggie's upbeat response, "I would LOVE to meet your dog. What is he?"

The nurse enthusiastically rolled the wheel chair into the elevator and pushed the button for the lobby.

When the doors opened, the big headed Rottweiler took one look at his favorite buddy and there was no stopping him. Fortunately for the hospital, the front doors were motion activated or they might have been destroyed as the lug of a dog sprinted mindlessly toward his best friend.

"59! Hey big fella! It is so great to see you!" Annie leaned forward to put both arms around her beast as he skidded to a stop at her chair.

Maggie let out a breath of relief when no collision took place and started giggling. Watching the petit marshal and the ginormous dog, it was clearly heaven. Their reunion was priceless. Daisy joined the nurse and couldn't help but laugh, too. She had tried to keep the dog outside but there was no holding him back.


	2. Chapter 2

A half hour loving up her dog had improved Annie's mood dramatically but the excitement had worn her out. It was discouraging to know that she was still so weak that she couldn't handle even 30 minutes of her dog. She was thankful for the wheel chair as she said her goodbyes and Maggie pushed her back up to her room.

"You okay?" Maggie saw the look on her patient's face. Her complexion was graying. This was more than exhaustion. The nurse held her hand to Annie's forhead. "Annie, you are burning up! Let's get you back to bed."

All the blond marshal could do was let Maggie help her into bed. She couldn't believe how tired she had gotten just loving-up her dog.

The door to her room pushed open tentatively as Jimmy was rolled in dressed in clothes to go home. "What's goin' on, Maggie?" He was concerned and practically jumped out of the wheel chair to be at Annie's side. The quick action made him wince. His ribs were not yet healed and sudden movements still hurt.

"I think she over did it a bit visiting with her dog. I should have ended it earlier and brought her back to her room but they were both so happy." Maggie held the thermometer in Annie's ear until it beeped. She looked at the number and rolled her eyes. Annie just lay there quietly dozing, unaware of anything around her. "103" and the nurse sighed heavily.

He picked up her hand and felt the heat radiating off of her. It scared him. It brought him back to the hillside when Annie collapsed on his shoulder. He had been so relieved to have her in his arms initially that he had overlooked her level of illness. It wasn't until he felt that heat, that he was able to take it all in. Then the helicopters were there and the rest was fuzzy.

"Annie, I am here. I am right here. I will stay with you, okay?" He was trying so hard to keep his voice calm and relaxed. She rolled her head over and cracked her eyes open and smiled.

"Do you have anything to drink?" He was not sure she had said anything at all but saw her mouth move. When it processed in his head what she had requested, he stood. Maggie pushed a small bowl of ice chips to his chest before he even realized what had happened.

Jimmy smiled his thanks. He had also become good friends with the nurse through all of this. She nodded toward Annie and turned to go. "I will be right back with some meds."

He turned back to the woman who held his heart. "I have some ice chips for you to suck on. It should help with your fever." She tried to sit upright but he placed a cooled hand on her shoulder and carefully pushed her back to the pillow. Instead he raised the head of her bed up until they were almost looking eye to eye. "You are never going to get used to the bed moving, are you?"

He held an ice cube to her lips. Annie looked at him grinned and giggled. It had been so long since he had heard that he wanted to laugh as well but his ribs were still very sore. The two sat on the hospital bed enjoying the quiet moment.

Maggie re-entered after a bit with a syringe of new antibiotics for Annie's IV. Jimmy started to get off the bed to make room but the nurse waived for him to stay where he was. Their patient was relaxing while contentedly sucking on her ice chip. "Annie, this is a new antibiotic I am giving you. I want you to tell me if you start to feel nauseous or sick in any way, okay?

She nodded in response, popped another ice chip in her mouth and looked up at her partner. "When can we get back to work?" He looked at her and his grin turned into a smirk. "I think it will be a bit" and he looked into the bowl in his lap. His aching shoulder was a constant reminder of how far he had to go before he would be healthy. "How are you feeling? The medicine making you sick?"

She shook her head, "no, it is fine. Jimmy, the case load has to be overwhelming the team. They are never going to be able to tackle it all with both of us gone. "

He sighed heavily and shook his head. This was going to be a constant battle until they were reinstated and he was not sure how long he would be able to hold her back. "Why don't you focus on getting over this infection before you start running after felons? Okay?" But he could feel her starting to get agitated. It was as if she wanted to pretend the past few weeks had never happened.

"Look, you are still getting better. Please give yourself time to heal before you bury yourself in work again. Just do that for me?" He felt like he was pleading with her, and he was.

It was clear she was still quite sick. Her eyes lacked that sparkle. Her skin was flushed with fever. She just didn't have that glow of good health. These past weeks had been harder on this woman that he loved than she ever knew. And healing from it could really prove to be a very steep hill for her to climb. He would do anything to help her up that hill. The more time he spent with her, the more he fell in love.

But Annie had closed her heart for now and she was moving on. The fact that her body wasn't healing fast enough for her was starting to get to her. When Jimmy reminded her of this, it struck a nerve. She was just FINE! And she was prepared to prove that to everyone. As soon as she could kick this ridiculous fever, she would be back at work. Staying busy was the best way to be. She would deal with everything else later.

Her silence worried him. He was starting to recognize the signs and it thoroughly frustrated him. She was packaging this experience in a dark and deep box and she was filing it away deep in her soul. Even with her fever and her battered body fighting to heal, she was pretending nothing ever happened.

"Why don't you just lay back and rest. You need to give the antibiotics time to fight the infection." The quiet cowboy had said his piece. He got off the bed, handed her the bowl of ice and left the room. This was going in a dark direction and he needed to think.

She watched him go and sighed. Suddenly, it broke her heart and inner turmoil resumed.

The innocent, loving woman in her wanted to run to his arms and let him help her deal with what she had just endured. But the steely side of her demanded that she take care of herself. She had once thought of letting the walls down, before the 2nd kidnapping. See the result? Yea, those walls were going back up iron clad! And no one would change her mind.

-\\-

Marco was chatting with Daisy in the hospital lobby. 59 had finally settled down from seeing his owner and Marco was rubbing his head when Jimmy walked out of the elevator. They were a sight for his very sore eyes. His departing words to Annie were still ringing in his ears and it was crushing his heart.

Daisy gave him a gentle hug, gathered the dog's leash and attempted to head to her truck. But the Rottweiler wouldn't budge. He was staring at the red headed marshal expectantly.

"Hey big guy. She is going to be okay. She is in good hands." He placed his hand on the dog's big head. They had clearly bonded through all of this disaster. Highway 59 seemed to accept what Jimmy said and turned toward Daisy to leave.

At the door, he paused and turned his light eyes back on the tall marshal. "I'll come get you tonight, 59. We will stay at the loft." Jimmy looked once more at Daisy. She nodded her understanding and pulled the dog out to her car.

Marco looked at his boss and friend giggling and rubbing his head. "That dog likes you!" There was a quiet pause. Jimmy wasn't much in the mood to talk. "You want me to take you to Annie's or to my place?"

Quietly the brooding marshal answered, "you can just take me to my truck. I'm not sure where I am going first."

"You OK, man? Something on your mind?" It was very clear to Marco that something was definitely on Jimmy's mind. Not a big talker, he wasn't surprised when the troubled man shook his head briefly and marched out the door toward the hospital parking garage. But the stiffness in the tall man's shoulders, especially with that severe shoulder injury, illustrated the inner turmoil going on in his head. Marco decided to suggest a tall cold beer one of these evenings. They both needed it.

-\\-

It was three days later and the latest dose of antibiotics was making her feel pretty lousy. Or maybe it was the constant fever. Or her aching leg. This nightmare just wasn't ending and Annie was getting more frustrated with every day. She wanted things to go back to normal and she wanted that to happen right now. She did not want to think about what happened anymore. It was behind her. There was no need to re-hash old events.

Jimmy had been by to visit her every day. He had, in fact, just left and she was brooding alone. She felt badly that she had been so distant to him when he came by. But her solitude was important since that was what she ultimately needed to succeed. Still, it broke the heart of the romantic in her. "UGH!" she squashed that side of her back into its box and shoved it back into the dark closet of her soul. There was no time to find romance. She couldn't put Jimmy in the middle of this. He had his own demons from those horrible hours of Manuel's torture. He was better off without her.

All this thinking had tired her out again and she felt her eyelids dropping for another nap. She seemed powerless to fight the constant exhaustion but she would just have to be mad at herself when she woke up.


	3. Chapter 3

Jimmy had spent the week after being discharged going to his physical therapy. The collar bone had not completely healed yet but he needed to keep things moving so he could stay focused. He also needed to stay on track with Annie. He visited her every day but it wasn't working. She was falling away from him deeper and deeper into her box of solitude. It was killing him to see it.

Next week he was to begin mandatory therapy. Normally he was completely against this but he had a lot of questions and thought maybe the therapist would help him find answers.

The days had been long, boring, and nondescript. He had stumbled through them aimlessly feeling overwhelmed and depressed. It was not a familiar feeling to him, so he was a bit lost.

When a knock came at the door, he jumped a bit. Was he expecting someone to come by?

"Hey Boss!" Marco let himself in. He had a 6 pack of beer in his hand and a bag full of ingredients to make a grill sing. It had been too long that he had let his best friend stew over what was going on. They needed to have a grilling-time chat.

Jimmy just stood there blinking at Marco. He looked wan and underfed. It shocked the younger marshal.

"Hey, man, let's go to the roof and get this food started. You want a beer?" Marco was shaken by the state of the man standing in front of him. Jimmy looked like a shell of his former self. Was he too late to help his best friend?

The man in question followed him outside.

Conversation was difficult at first. The younger marshal doing everything he could to open the big cowboy up. It wasn't until Annie's name came into the conversation that a noticeable warming-up began. Some funny stories and memories had both men laughing.

And then the boss's voice turned to ice. "She is in a really bad way, Marco. She isn't dealing with anything. They are having real trouble getting the infection in her leg to completely heal. And her eye is doing okay but I just have to think that maybe the concussion from all those blows…." Jimmy stumbled as if he had said too much. It was the longest sentence he had uttered in months.

Marco put his hand on his buddy's good shoulder. There was so much more there but it would have to wait to come out when the marshal was ready. They both sat in silence until….

"I'm losing her, Marco. She is disappearing. I go to the hospital every day but she won't talk to me. She won't even look at me. I go because I don't want her to think I would ever desert her." His voice was quiet and powerful but almost desperate in its revelation. He rubbed his forehead with his good hand as the two men just sat in the Texas evening listening to the steaks sizzle.

-\\-

Daisy had a plant in her hand. Luke had flowers. They both looked at each other smirking. "She is going to kill us for these" Luke stuttered trying to hold in his laughter. Daisy just shook her head and steered toward the elevators.

It had been a few days since either had stopped by to say hello to their fearless leader. Neither would admit it but it was depressing seeing her. Instead of being her normal laughing self, she had become fixated with knowing what was going on at work. The conversation never strayed from the subject for long before she would redirect it back to files and cases.

The chief had instructed them not to say anything to her so that she might rest and recover, AND because she was currently on medical leave until cleared by the agency therapist…. again.

So Daisy and Luke had chosen to visit her together to make it less uncomfortable.

Both marshals wandered into her room. The petit blond was on the floor doing pushups. The wires attached to her strained with each dip. She rose slowly when she noticed their entrance. Her face showed no emotion at all.

"Hey, Annie, looks like you are feeling better." Luke felt he needed to say something.

"Yea, I think this medicine is really working. finally." There was no warmth in her voice at all. Daisy was stunned to silence.

"You can put those over there. Thanks." She turned and sat on the bed while everyone stared at each other miserably.

Then Daisy could hold it in no longer. "Annie, are you okay?" She had walked forward and was reaching out to touch her friend's shoulder.

But the injured marshal flinched away, "yes I am fine."

"Look, you have been through a lot. How about when you get out of here, we go…. um… get a drink or something." Daisy wanted to suggest a pedicure, too, but didn't want to give away their secret with Luke in the room.

The young blonde nodded, "yea, okay." She paused briefly and changed to her favorite subject. "So how is the case load? You got any new ones? Who is heading up H.E.A.T. right now? You should really get Bouff to start reviewing any live cameras to see if we can add more throughout town. It could really help to save lives." She took a deep breath and noticed the silent visitors standing in front of her.

"What? I need to get back to work. I cannot just sit here day after day with nothing. My brain needs to work on something!" Clearly she was frustrated.

Her slip of control had caused her heart beat to race a bit. The monitors had detected the change and Maggie entered the room to see what was going on.

"Hey!" The nurse had really become an honorary member of the team in the past 3 weeks. "You guys here for a visit?" But the two marshals took her arrival as a blissful excuse to back out of the room and leave. They apologized for getting the patient all riled up, said their goodbyes to their boss and headed out.

"Okay, I need you to lay back and relax. The monitors are all over the place with you today. Your fever is down and if it stays down through tomorrow, the doctor will probably release you. So RE-LAX! Now, do you want your dinner now?" Her patient rolled her eyes and nodded reluctantly so she turned and left the room.

Maggie was bothered by the change in Annie. It weighed heavily on her and she was so deep in thought walking back to the nurses' station, she almost ran right into a very important visitor.

"Hey beautiful!" came a sexy voice hiding behind a gorgeous array of flowers. She couldn't help but smile.

"BEN!" and she lunged into his arms thrilled to see him.

"What is wrong? You looked really upset for a moment there? You have a patient giving you problems?"

She rolled her eyes and gave him the look.

"I know, I know, you can't tell me." He paused as if a light bulb went on in his head and he tilted his head toward Annie's room… "But you don't have to tell me WHO…." He followed her toward the nurses' area careful to stay outside the carpeted area. "You have a break coming up?" he called after her.

She nodded and motioned for him to give her a minute. She needed to write everything down in Annie's chart and order her dinner to be brought up before getting distracted. Once that was finished, she turned to her fellow nurse to say she was planning on taking 15 minutes but would have her phone and she headed to the hallway to meet up with Ben.

Outside they sat on a bench with a cup of coffee each. Maggie took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Okay – what is bothering you?"

"Ben, I cannot be specific but one of my patients….. this person is getting physically better but mentally… I am just not sure." She looked into her cup and slumped a bit.

He reached his arm around her. "It isn't good for a nurse to get too attached."

She leaned into him knowing he was right. But she had come to like and respect this patient and watching her emotional decline had affected her severely. She thought more than once that Ben could probably help since she knew they were friends. But she wasn't allowed to talk about it.

"Hey, my break is almost over. Why don't we finish our walk? Then you can go visit Annie after. She may get released in a couple of days. I am sure she would love to see you."

He had intentionally been ignoring his former flame for fear of rekindling what he could not have. It was too painful to realize that she had chosen someone else over him. But he was happy with Maggie so maybe it had really worked out for the best. He nodded, "Okay."

They continued strolling through the hospital grounds holding hands until it was time to head back upstairs.

When Maggie got to her station, she gave him a quick kiss, thanked him for the lovely flowers and pushed him toward Annie's room. Reluctantly he treaded down the hallway to push open the door.

He was shocked with what he saw. Annie looked older, meaner. The soft lovely lines of her face were now rigid and angry. Her icey blue eyes came to rest on her new visitor but they did not warm. She nodded at him and returned her stare to the window across the room. Her arms were crossed in front of her and she looked agitated.

"Hey. I hear you might get out of here soon…" It was all he could think of to say. Her visage was so intimidating.

"How's Jimmy doing?" He was running out of things to say.

"You can ask him yourself. He usually comes about now." She hadn't even looked at him when she answered.

Ben just shook his head. She was in a BAD way and if someone didn't find a way to turn this around quickly, he couldn't imagine it changing any time soon.

"Annie" his voice was softer, more loving, in its concern, "are you okay?" He had seated himself in the chair near her bed. Reluctantly he stayed but hoped to hear her out.

"I am fine. Everyone keeps asking. I am fine." Her voice strained with anger.

He just looked at the ground and rubbed his hands together. They sat there silently for about 5 minutes. Her obstinance was working his last nerve and he wasn't sure how much silence he could bare before he exploded on her. Luckily he was saved as in walked Jimmy.

The normally buff marshal had diminished in size and stature with his injuries. He looked tired and miserable; his arm still in a sling. But his eyes looked angry and agitated at the sight of Ben in Annie's room. "Ben" he nodded in greeting.

"Jimmy" and a nod came in return. The Bounty Hunter rose from his chair. He approached the blonde marshal, gave her a kiss on the cheek and said his goodbyes. The relief he felt leaving her room was overwhelming and as the door closed behind him, he wandered off to say his goodbyes ... His thoughts were interrupted.

"She isn't doing well, is she? I mean, it isn't just me who has noticed, right?" It was Jimmy. He had treaded up behind the exiting Bounty Hunter.

In shock, Ben turned. The searing stare set deep in dark circles of exhaustion showed a level of concern that he had never witnessed before. He felt deeply for a man that only a short time before, he had dreaded seeing. "You are worried, aren't you?"

The slight dip of the cowboy's head was the only response he got. He dropped his chin to his chest. "Let's go grab a coffee" and he led them down the hall toward the cafeteria.

Jimmy sat grimacing a bit. Even with almost three weeks behind him, everything still hurt. Ben sat gingerly, as well. His gunshot wound was healing well but stung a bit when he bent forward. The two men grunted in laughter at their shared states.

"Your shoulder healing well?"

"Yep. Started Physical Therapy a little while ago. I'm hoping for the screws to come out soon." He lied. "How's your gut?"

"Good, almost 100%." He lied, too.

Both men nodded and stared at the coffee in their hands. They seemed reluctant to bring up the most important thing on both of their minds. Finally, Jimmy couldn't keep quiet.

"She isn't doing well, Ben. She has pushed the whole thing down. Pretends it never happened!" The coffee splashed in the shaking cup.

"Look, you know her. You know her past. You, of all people, Jimmy. You know her. This is how she handles everything. If you expect to move on with your relationship…." He paused for a second to let that sink in, let out a heavy sigh and started back up again, "You love her, right?"

The depth of his love became instantly recognizable. The reality hit Ben like a load of bricks. Quietly he continued, "You need to yank her out of that shell, Jimmy. You can't let her go there. You need to make her count on you. She has never allowed anyone to take care of her. She needs to start and start NOW."

The low agitated voice shook with anger. "I know all of this. I come here every day. I come here to prove to her that I am not going away." He blew through his lips to calm himself. "It isn't working."

"Ugh she is so obstinate!" It was all the dark haired man could muster. He just sat there partially slumped over the table in front of him.

Both men were silent.

Then the marshal rose. He nodded his farewell to the bounty hunter, "thanks for the coffee" and left. He needed to get back to Annie.


	4. Chapter 4

The woman in question gloomily sat stabbing at the dinner in front of her. Normally she shared this time with her partner where she took every opportunity to push him away. But he had run out after Ben Crowley and left her to eat her dinner alone. perfect.

However, the door swung open and in walked the missing marshal. He took his normal seat next to her, opened his bag dinner he had brought and took a bite.

She pointed the remote control up and turned on their favorite show, CSI. They watched and ate in silence. as usual.

He was so deeply in thought; he hadn't noticed the look of relief on her face when he returned to their routine. If he had, it would have lightened his mood dramatically. It would have shown that all was not lost. His partner was still capable of feelings for him. But he was determined to show his support, and so he muscled through the evening as he did every night.

-\\-

Daisy, Luke and Marco sat at a table at their favorite bar. Usually they would be laughing together as Marco regaled them with some hilarious story. Tonight they sat stunned. Their leaders were broken and they didn't know how to fix them.

"We are going to have to tell the Chief" Luke mumbled.

"Ah, no. Luke, they are still healing! You cannot assume that they aren't going to be back to normal in a few weeks. I mean, Annie is still in the hospital!" Daisy was babbling uncharacteristically.

"They both have to pass review from the therapist." Marco added and took a big swig of beer. "Maybe he can do something."

Daisy and Luke just glared at Marco.

"What? You know I am right!"

"Do we have to go back and visit her?" Luke was whining at no one in particular. He was also not interested in being that uncomfortable any time soon.

"They are probably letting her out in a couple of days. I am sure there will be no stopping her from showing up at work." All three marshals nodded depressed. That was going to be one hard day.

"This is killing me." Daisy grumbled.

"You should see Jimmy…" Marco contributed.

"What?" Daisy and Luke looked up.

"I went over to his house. I don't think he is sleeping or eating. We gotta get him back in the swing."

"We should have invited him tonight!"

"He has dinner every night with Annie" came the answer.

-\\-

Two days later, Annie's fever had not reappeared. The doctor entered her room to give her the great news but apparently was too late. Annie sat on her bed dressed and ready to leave.

"So, who released you?" The doctor was confused.

"No one but I know that my fever has been gone for three days. I expected you to release me yesterday. When can I get back to work?" Annie was more than ready to leave this prison cell they called a hospital room. She had been there for over 3 weeks and she wanted to cuddle her dog and relax in her own bed. And more than anything, she wanted to go back to work. She wanted to get the past nightmare out of her brain forever.

"Ahhh, yeah. Um. Well, I can only release you medically from the hospital. I am not releasing you to go back to work yet." The doctor continued jotting information in the chart seemingly distracted. She finished by dotting some "i" and looked up at Annie again.

"You will need to come back for check-ups until I can release you back to work. Sorry." She smirked a bit at the marshal. "You will need to go to Physical Therapy now that the infection in your leg has been beat. They will need to help you build up that muscle again. Here is your prescription for PT and for some pain meds , if you need them." She handed over two sheets of paper.

"Thanks…" the blonde looked over the documents and finished, "how much longer until you THINK I can go back to work?"

"I do not know yet. We will have to see how you do with your PT. You will be closer to that day after your check-up next week." The doctor walked toward the room's open door. "The nurse will be in with your discharge papers in a few minutes. Then you are free to go home!"

"Thanks, doctor." She watched the white lab coat swish out the door and she grabbed her phone. She was about to call Jimmy but changed her mind. When he was around she found her resolve to rely only on herself weaken. She could not allow that to happen. She dialed her other best friend.

"Daisy, they released me!" She sounded happy for the first time in over 3 weeks! "Can you come get me?"

"I will be right there" came the response.

-\\-

"She's out." Daisy had stood when she hung up the phone and was packing her bag. "I'm going to pick her up and take her home. If you guys need me, call my cell. I am not sure how long I will need to be at the loft to keep her from coming in." She mustered up her inner strength and marched past the two men toward the door.

But the door opened toward her just before she got there. In he walked. "Jimmy…?" was all she could say.

The whole room looked up at the mention of his name and headed toward the door to welcome their battered boss back to work.

"Hey, man! What are you doing here! "

"Were you released? How's your shoulder?"

"How you feelin'? Are you back full time?"

Everyone was full of questions. They were all clearly happy to see him back inside the H.E.A.T. bullpen.

Jimmy smiled; something he had not done in so long he wondered how he could still do it. He put his good hand up to silence everyone. "I gotta start that therapy part. I haven't been released to work yet. My shoulder is good but it could be another few weeks before it is healed. Have I answered all your questions?" He continued to grin, happy for his team's concern.

Daisy gave him a hug and headed out the door.

"It is really good to see you here, Jimmy." Luke was relieved to think that things could be getting back to normal again. He turned and joined the dispersing crowd.

Marco remained standing next to the injured marshal. The two men turned when everyone left to walk toward the Therapist's office together. "You gonna keep staying at my place?"

"What do you mean?" Jimmy was confused why this would come up just because he was there for his first therapy session.

"Didn't you hear? Annie was released from the hospital today. Daisy is headed to pick her up. I assumed you would want to go back to the loft…. You didn't know..?" Marco was stumbling over his words.

"I didn't know. She didn't tell me." His voice was so low that his friend could barely hear him. "I gotta get 59 back to the loft later today. I'll be staying with you." Jimmy stopped and looked Marco in the eye, "That's okay?"

The other marshal nodded quietly and watched his leader and friend march toward his appointment. Things were getting uncomfortable as everyone suspected they would. Time to hold on for dear life.


	5. Chapter 5

Daisy was driving past the door on her way to the parking garage when she saw Annie waiving her down. "What the heck?" she mumbled to herself and pulled over.

"Hey!" Annie whipped open the passenger door and plopped in. "Take me home, please. I need to shower off this hospital smell. Is 59 there?"

"Um, okay and no." She shut her mouth as she turned onto the driveway to pull out on the main road and head toward Annie's loft.

"What?" Annie was turned in her seat glaring at her friend and driver. Her sunken eyes were severe in their focus.

Daisy looked at her blond friend nervously. She was unsure what to say next for fear of upsetting some pre-prepared plan. "Look, Jimmy moved in with Marco. He and 59 kinda bonded while you were laid up so they stayed together." There was a moment of silence and then she finished, "I am sure we can get 59 dropped off at the loft today. I'll call Marco to ask Jimmy when he gets out of his appointment."

"Wait, appointment? What appointment?" Was the blonde starting to get agitated?

"Look, just calm down. He has his first therapy appointment today. You know how much he hates those.. I mean, you both hate those." Daisy mentally began back pedaling. She knew she had said more than she should have.

"He is already in therapy? Wait! How far behind am I? He is going to be back at work before me. Nononononononono… this cannot happen. It cannot happen. Take me to H.E.A.T. right now."

She shook her head, focused on the road and squeezed the steering wheel in a death grip. "You are going home." Her voice successfully remained low and in control. "I am taking you home where you are going to rest and finish your recovery, Annie."

"NO. You are going to take me to H.E.A.T. right now. I am going to have my first appointment with the therapist right now." Her voice was rising and her good leg shook with pent up rage and energy.

Daisy pulled the car to the side of the road and threw it in park. She turned to confront her friend, rage bubbling out of every pore. "You almost died. Why do you feel the need to always push. Can't you just relax and recover?"

Her passenger was starting to pant and she thought she could see her pulse beating double time along the side of her slender neck. "Please take me to the office. I need you to take me to the office."

What could she do? She sighed heavily, yanked the car back into drive and flipped a U-ey back toward headquarters. "I should not be doing this" she mumbled to herself.

Annie leaned back against her seat but she did not appear to be any more relaxed. Her leg still pulsed up and down like a machine.

-\\-

The door to Joseph Tindle, Therapist's office was still closed when she got there but Annie tried to turn the knob anyway. It was locked. Her bad leg ached to distraction. She wanted to sit down but there was only the floor. She wasn't' sure she could get up off it later. And no one was to ever see her weaknesses. So she just stood there leaning against the wall, miserable.

By the time the door opened, the pain in her leg was almost unbearable. The room was starting to spin and her resolve to show no pain or weakness was pretty much out the window.

Jimmy walked out of the office with his head down. These sessions had become more difficult now that he was focused on how to help his partner, also. He almost didn't notice the woman across the hall as she slid down the wall and slumped onto the floor.

"Annie! What are you doing here?" He felt her forehead which was still fairly cool. But she was pale and did not look well. Joe, who had come to the doorway when he heard Jimmy's voice, raced to the other side of the fainted marshal to help carry her into his office. They laid her down on the couch and her partner raced out to get a cool towel to put on her forehead.

"Annie, what are you doing here? Were you released from the hospital?" Joe's voice was calm and clinical. All she could do in response was nod. It was too much effort to speak and she was suddenly feeling exhausted.

The tall marshal re-entered and placed something cool on her forehead that felt wonderful. She tried to smile her thanks and he cupped her face with his hand, "shhh, just relax. It's okay."

She wasn't sure how much time had gone by before she finally felt strong enough to talk. Opening her eyes, the first person she saw was Jimmy. He looked terrified and tired. What had she been thinking putting him through this again?

Whispering, she muttered, "I'm sorry. I wanted…" she took an invigorating breath and continued. "I need to get back to work. I just thought if I started therapy now, I could do that."

Jimmy grinned and looked down shaking his head. Leave it to his partner to be so focused that she would overlook her own health.

"That is unacceptable, Annie. You know the rules. You also know that every person working here must rely on their co-workers to keep them alive. By pushing yourself, you could put the rest of your team's safety in jeopardy." Joe starred at her to make sure she registered this information. Her pupils seemed to buzz with guilt.

The idea that pushing these recent events down could cause her friends' lives to be in danger jerked at that box of bad memories buried in her soul.

Jimmy sat to the side, able to really concentrate on the woman who held his heart. Only because he knew her so well was he able to see the turmoil ravaging her inner thoughts. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the heartless side of her take over and shut everything else down.

Her back stiffened and her mind pushed through the previous fog. She had to stop feeling. It was a waste of her time. This side of her could rationalize the safety of the people she led. It would take too much time to train replacements. She would follow protocols.

Joseph caught Jimmy's eye and some inner knowledge was transferred by a blink. It irritated Annie that they seemed to be talking without sharing words. That meant she had been part of their conversations and that just wasn't going to work for her.

She jerked upright, whipped open the door and slammed it shut behind her before both men could react. The sudden motion had left her woozy, yet again, and she had to lean against the wall to keep from passing out.

The door to the therapist slowly opened and out walked her partner finishing his sentence, "day after tomorrow is fine. I will be here at 11, as usual." He shut the door behind him and turned to face her with his good hand in his pocket.

"You gonna pass out on me again?" He didn't smile and there was no joy in his voice or eyes. She shook her head but she wasn't sure.

He turned and headed down the hallway. "Go lay down in the bunks, Annie. You shouldn't be here. I will take you home in a half hour when I finish my meeting." And he kept walking without looking back. The only way he could treat her like this was if he did not face her. It was killing him inside.

She fumed away in the hallway but knew he was right. She began to limp toward the bunks. It frustrated her to do what she was told but the rational side of her knew it was the correct decision.


	6. Chapter 6

Jimmy nodded at the assistant as he approached the Chief's door. She nodded in response, knowing he had an appointment, and clicked the intercom to announce his arrival.

The door whipped open and the Chief put his hand out to shake the marshal's. Jimmy smiled and entered as he was beckoned. The chief shut the door behind him and went over to sit at his desk.

The two just stared at each other for a while until finally Edwards had had enough. "How are you doing, Mr. Godfrey?"

"I'm comin' along. Should be back to normal soon." He was quiet with his response.

"You seeing Joseph?" A nod was the response. "It workin'?" Again, a nod was the response.

"Good to hear. When is your next doctor check up for your shoulder?"

"Next Wednesday."

"You going to PT every day?"

"Yes sir."

"Your ribs and lung healing nicely?"

"Yes sir."

The two men stared again until Chief Edwards said what was on both of their minds. "Have you seen Annie?" He whispered for fear of revealing the trembling in his voice.

But Jimmy heard the emotion and his eyes softened. It comforted him to know that he was not alone in his concern. He looked down overcome with emotion. She was not good. And he didn't know how long it would be until she was, if ever.

It was all the answer that the Chief needed. "We'll get her back, Jimmy. I know she means a lot to you. She means a lot to all of us."

Jimmy gave one large nod and stood in front of his chair. He did not think the Chief had any idea how MUCH this blonde marshal meant to him and that was fine. She needed fixing and he would take any help he could get.

"Keep me updated."

They shook hands over the desk and Jimmy headed out to get Annie and take her home.

-\\-

Back in the bunks, she was sitting with her back to the door. She appeared to be just sitting there but she jumped up when she heard him enter, spun around and backed into a corner.

He slowly sat down on the edge of the bed facing her.

"What's goin' on Boots?" He patted the bed with his good hand encouraging her to sit next to him and talk.

"Nothing." Annie didn't move from her corner. She looked like she was holding up the wall but he saw a crack in her shield. He thought he saw a tear fall past the faded bruising on her cheekbone.

He pushed himself up and walked over to her. He faced her to look eye to eye. "Annie, what is going on? Please, talk to me." He was right. She was losing the battle to hide her feelings and he reached his good arm up to wipe another tear as it fell.

"Jimmy, things have changed so much. I used to be so strong. Things just didn't bother me. Now, I am always looking over my shoulder." She held her composure even with her words giving away her lack of confidence.

"Are you ready to see Joseph again?" He reached over to hold her hand.

She nodded but looked past him at the wall and then down at the floor. Her face was creased with concentration as she tried to keep it together. He pulled her to him but she pushed back and turned to the wall needing her space.

Jimmy cleared his throat and headed for the doorway. He wanted to be there for her but knew he couldn't smother her.

The room remained silent as the partners just soaked in each other's presence until Daisy walked in.

"Annie, are you in here?" She looked at Jimmy in the doorway. He gestured to the corner as he piercingly looked Daisy in the eye. Daisy nodded in response and followed the direction of his gesture.

She had not acknowledged her best friend's arrival or question. So Daisy slowly approached and put her hand on Annie's shoulder. "Hey. You ready to go home?" The blonde marshal smiled slightly.

Daisy pulled her out of the corner to lead her out the door. "How about we go by Marco's and pick up 59?"

Jimmy closed his eyes and massaged his temples with his good hand. The tenseness in his shoulders was pulling on his stitches. The surgery had been urgent as the orthopedic doctor had tried to give him back all the potential range of motion that he had before the injury. This meant inserting a plate to hold the collarbone together. That would take about 6 to 8 weeks to completely heal and then physical therapy until he was cleared. His deflated lung was almost completely healed. And while he was already released from the hospital, the doctor had not cleared him for work until he had a follow-up appointment in another week. He was to lay low and rest until then.

-\\-

They had just climbed into the SUV. Annie muscled her way without help and sat in the passenger seat quietly.

"You okay?" Daisy had become increasingly concerned about the emotional state of her best friend. She knew that Annie and Jimmy had started a special relationship at the beginning of this nightmarish event. The blonde marshal had fought them in her feverish stupor when they tried to pull her away from him that morning in the light of the rising sun.

Daisy was so relieved to finally have her best friend safe but knew this experience would have to affect her for many years to come. She wondered what the future held and after seeing that even Jimmy couldn't bring Annie around, she felt it was time to talk.

Annie had not responded to Daisy's question. She had just continued staring out the window, looking distant and detached. This was going to have to stop. She needed to be brought out of her shell and soon or she might be lost forever.

"Did you make an appointment with the therapist?"

Annie shook her head and mumbled, "I forgot to ask."

"I thought that was your main goal and reason to come to the office." Daisy was confused and getting frustrated.

"Yea, I just…." She looked at her hands and finally continued, "I interrupted his appointment with Jimmy by accident." She cleared her throat and proceeded as if it was just a minor part of the story. "And then I fainted and they had to take care of me. So it just kinda slipped my mind to make the appointment."

"Annie! You fainted? Come on! Are you serious?"

She grinned and nodded in response. She was not proud of her display of physical weakness.

"What did Jimmy do?"

"He told me to go to the bunks and lay down. So I did." The last part ended in a frustrated whisper.

They pulled up in front of Marco's house and Daisy turned to Annie. "Stay here. I'll go get your dog and bring him to the car. He is going to go nuts when he sniffs your scent."

Annie agreed and Daisy set off to return a few minutes later with a drooling, panting, big headed Rottweiler. He leaped into the car and shoved his body between the front seats to drench Annie's face with kisses. She put her arms around his head, closed her eyes and breathed in his doggie smell.

Daisy just chuckled as she climbed into the driver's seat and headed off to the loft to put her best friend and her best friend's dog to bed.

-\\-

Jimmy walked to his car. His shoulder was aching after a particularly hard Physical Therapy session. They had iced it for a while which kept the edge off but he just wanted to go to Marco's, put his feet up and have a cold beer.

He turned onto the road and drove only half paying attention.

Within about 10 minutes, it became clear that his subconscious had no intention of ending up at Marcos. He pulled up to the Loft, parked and headed up the stairs to her front door.

He knocked but there wasn't a sound. He knocked again and heard 59 sniffling at the door base.

"Hey big guy. I'm comin' in, okay?" He used his key and let himself in. Highway 59 gently put his mouth over Jimmy's hand and pulled him into the kitchen. The poor dog was starving. Jimmy dumped a cup full of kibble into the bowl more concerned with the reason WHY he had not been fed.

He looked around the dark apartment and then turned to enter Annie's bedroom slowly. In the dimmed light he saw the outline of her body curled up under a blanket. He approached quietly and sat next to her on the bed. The movement woke Annie suddenly and sent her scurrying to the corner of the bed as far from him as possible. She had the blanket pulled up as if to hide.

It mirrored her reaction in the bunks.

"Shhhh, Boots. It is me, Jimmy. It's okay. Shhhhhh. Relax." He reached toward her but had second thoughts. Instead he stood and turned on the light so she could see him.

It worked. The sudden change of light seemed to yank Annie from her nightmare. She shuddered briefly, looked down to collect herself and looked up at the man sitting in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" She wasn't being rude. Her question sounded only matter-of-fact. But he could hear her trying to slam the door on her emotions.

"I just stopped to…" he paused, unsure of what to say, "when was the last time you fed 59?"

She tried to jump off the bed in hysterics but with her bad leg she looked like a wounded pigeon. "OH NO! I completely forgot to feed him!" She paced around the bed almost frantic. He just saw another crack in her emotional wall.

Again he stepped in. "Don't worry. I fed him. He is just fine. Hey, hey…. Why don't you lay back down." Watching her walking the edge of a break-down was disconcerting. He had now witnessed her inability to keep stoic twice in a few hours. He had not seen it happen to her that many times in all the time he had known her.

She plopped her butt back on the bed which shook her sore ribs and cheekbone. She rolled her eyes and groaned slightly. He grinned at her reaction remembering his meeting with Ben at the hospital. They were all still pretty beat up.

"You okay?" he whispered. She nodded but rubbed her forehead and ribs at the same time.

"Boots, were you having a nightmare when I came in?"

She stopped rubbing her head and glanced over at him, "what?"

"Were you having a nightmare…. When I woke you up, you acted like you were having a nightmare…. like I scared you. You did it in the bunks, too."

"Hmmm" she had taken to rubbing her eyes lightly, "of course not. You just keep startling me."

"Look, what happened to us… to you… it was pretty awful." His heart was aching and he wanted to share some of the healing he had already begun. She was behind and he wanted to help her catch up. He needed to help her catch up. He needed her to get through this in one piece bc he really needed her.

Then the cowboy lost his words. He knew his need was selfish. She deserved to work through this on her own time and in her own way. An uncharacteristic tear dropped from his eye onto the floor. She watched the splatter and felt something stir deep inside of her.

"Jimmy… I am fine. Nothing is wrong." But he shook his head.

He whispered in his low gravelly voice, "don't do this for me. This is your time to heal. You do this your way. Take as long as you need. I will always be right here for you. If you need anything from me….." he sniffed briefly and looked up at her sincerely. "…just ask."

She smiled slightly, her guard completely down for the first time in over 3 weeks. The weight of trying to prove to everyone she was 'over it' lifted briefly and she gently placed her hand on his.

He smiled back and the two sat quietly that way for a long time. When she leaned her head on Jimmy's shoulder he came from his trance. "Do you want me to stay here tonight?"

Annie's head bobbled on his shoulder in a nod.

"Okay." But neither moved from where they were. Even when Highway 59 entered the room and lay on their feet, they stayed where they were. They didn't want to break the magic.


	7. Chapter 7

The glimpse he had of his partner's softer side disappeared shortly after that night. They had carpooled to PT and therapy for the past two weeks but she had said little and ignored him a lot. He chose not to push her figuring she was working through everything like he was, with Joe.

Jimmy hadn't thought much of therapy before. In fact, the last time he was forced to attend, he had just gone through the motions to get back to work. With everything that was happening with Annie, he had gone in this time more desperate. It must have opened his mind.

But it hadn't opened hers. It certainly had not improved her demeanor. Every day they shared a living space but no words. They shared transportation but no feelings. It was becoming a black hole.

It was dragging him down, affecting his therapy and his rehab. It was slowing his progress. Still, he held in there praying for a break through. The outlook was looking decidedly dimmer every day.

That afternoon, he sat in the loft reading the newspaper pretending all was well. Just then the door opened and in walked Annie and 59.

He looked over the back of the couch, "Hey, the team wants to meet at the bar for drinks and something to eat. You wanna go?"

She shook her head and walked stiffly over to the kitchen to feed her pup.

"Come on, Boots. Let's go out. It'll be fun!" Jimmy was ready to relax and get back to normal.

Annie rolled her eyes and popped her hand on her hip. "Fine. What time?"

"They wanna meet at 6:15."

"Okay." She was grinning on the inside ready for some normalcy. The daily therapy sessions irritated her and she was making no progress at all. She did not trust anyone, especially Joe and she had padlocked her inner walls in the up position.

But Jimmy? Jimmy was still there. Even when she treated him like crap, even when she took her anger at what had happened to her out on him, even with her need to always be in control, he had not left. It was starting to ease her mind that she could count on him to be there for her. She was beginning to find comfort in his silence. He did not force her to say the things she wasn't ready to talk about or confront the things she hadn't figured out how to take on yet.

-\\-

That night the band was playing a particularly popular tune as the H.E.A.T. team gathered at their usual table. Marco was telling another of his hilarious stories and they all were drinking beer and enjoying the evening.

At one point Annie got up to use the bathroom. He caught her eye and mouthed, "you okay?" She smiled big and nodded to alleviate his concern. He smiled back and re-engaged in the conversation.

Daisy saw her go and got up to follow her. She gave Jimmy a wink and a smile and he smiled his thanks.

In the quiet of the bathroom, Daisy could finally be heard. She waited for Annie to approach the sink to wash her hands. They were blissfully alone. She took a deep breath and looked at the blonde's reflection in the mirror.

"You aren't talking to the Therapist, are you?"

Annie looked up stunned, "What?" She shook her hands in the sink as if to dry them and headed to get a paper towel.

Daisy was leaning against the counter with her arms crossed. She was never known for beating around the bush and her best friend usually appreciated that. But this time Annie was sore and not in the mood to be directed down that painful path of dealing with her feelings.

"I am not in the mood to talk about this." She went to walk past Daisy and out the door but she could not get past.

"You are destroying my friend and your best friend. You beat him down and he takes it. He will keep taking it hoping YOU get better! But I think it will kill his spirit first."

Both women paused and just stared at each other. Annie was panting in pent up anger. Her face was flushed. Daisy looked unaffected, strong and uncompromising. Inside she was devastated to see her friend had made no progress. And she had had enough of her fooling everyone.

"You have no idea what you are talking about." Annie's voice was low and dangerous but Daisy remained steadfast. "I am not going to talk to you about this. It is NONE of your business." She shoved by her friend and back into the bar area.

Daisy rolled her eyes. This had not been the result she was hoping for. She went to follow.

-\\-

It was the start of her eighth therapy session and she was infuriated that Jimmy seemed to be happily working through his issues. Of course he was on session number twelve so maybe he was more practiced.

She still found it difficult to open up to Joe. He kept demanding that she tell him what she was feeling but she didn't trust him. So she sat there silently as she had at the beginning of the past 7 sessions.

"Annie, do you want me to schedule an appointment with another therapist for you? I get the feeling that you and I just aren't working out."

She squinched up her forehead and looked at him, "I can change therapists?"

"Yea, of course you can. In fact, I have a colleague in the room next door. She is temporarily sharing an office while they renovate her office at the HPD headquarters."

This was odd. It was like he just had an extra one laying around that he could plug her into. But she remembered what Jimmy had said, she needed to learn to be more flexible with therapy. She nodded and he left the room.

A couple of minutes later, a short brunette marched in. She walked straight up to Annie sitting on the couch and held out her hand "hi, I am Melanie."

Annie took it and shook it, "I'm Annie."

"Yes I know. Joe has asked me to meet with you. Is that okay?"

Ugh son of a bitch. She was going to have to talk to this little woman about her problems? This was torture. But she nodded anyway.

"So tell me what happened. I want to know the whole story and you are lucky because my schedule is clear today. That means that we can go past the hour so I can hear it all." She was very demanding.

The blonde marshal rolled her eyes. The very last thing she wanted to do right then was tell this diminutive woman about her nightmare. But the woman was very demanding and soon she was an hour into the session reliving scene after scene. She told the story in a very clinical fashion stringing events together as if it was evidence.

The walls were up and Melanie could see them easily. She stopped the monotonous narration abruptly. Annie jerked from her trance not sure what to do.

"So you were kidnapped in your robe and underwear from your bathroom? I thought you had a very large dog named after a street or something. Where was he when you were taken?"

Annie flinched. It was NOT her wonderful dog's fault he was…"out on a walk. He was out on a walk."

"Outside like in your yard?"

"No, he was on a walk. Someone was walking him."

"Who? Who was walking him?"

"Why are you asking me these questions?" Annie felt violated. Was this petite woman insinuating the kidnapping was her fault? She was attempting to batten down the hatches on her inner walls but holes kept appearing and she was starting to freak out.

"Just interested in the story. So you said that your dog was on a walk while you were in the shower. You were home alone even though the chief had instructed that you be careful and aware. Would he have been okay with you being home alone?"

The blonde stood up. "I am finished with this." She headed toward the door steaming with anger.

"You are going to sit right back down and finish this. You were not home alone, were you?"

Annie turned on her heel. "Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said." The little therapist's voice remained calm and stern. "Sit back down….. now…and answer my question."

Her heart pounded almost out of her chest. She was seeing spots she was so angry. "I do not need this and I do not need you." She turned toward the door to leave but was stopped in her tracks.

"Oh so you are just going to take care of all of this your way? Rely only on yourself? Certainly not let anyone in to help you, right? You can deal with all of this on your own."

"Look, counting on anyone is a waste of time! People either let you down or you let them down. It just makes things too complicated."

"Your team worked tirelessly to find you. Your partner snuck out of the hospital with broken ribs and a re-inflated lung to find you and save you. A bounty hunter put his life on the line to cross the border to hunt you down." The therapist stopped and looked pointedly at Annie. "It doesn't sound like THEY let YOU down. So how did you let them down?"

Annie looked at the ground. She was absolutely furious. She could not deal with this any longer. This insane woman was trying to tell her that SHE had put her entire team in jeopardy? She made for the door.

"Walk out of this room, Annie. That is your choice. But if you walk away from the facts, you are no U.S. Marshall." The guest therapist sat there. She had said her piece. Joe was right, this was one hard nut to crack.

The patient paused and turned. Her voice was firm and laced with frustration, "I protected myself. I saved a plane full of people. I almost escaped on my own more than once. I did those things. I didn't let anyone down." And she stormed out.

Right into Jimmy. "Do you always have to stand out here and wait for me?"

He raised his eyebrows in response. He had been just walking by and clearly had the bad timing to run into a furious partner. She just limped down the hall fuming leaving him to exhale loudly and drop his head. Great. This was going to be another long day.

Reluctantly he turned to follow her. He knew she would be at the truck pacing like a ticked off rocking horse. Her limp always became more pronounced when she was furious.

Exactly as he had predicted, there she was. Stomp. limp. Stomp. limp. It would have been comical if he hadn't seen the look of complete fury on her face.

Slowly he approached. He was going to let her do all the talking. Maybe by releasing some steam she could calm down and become more rational.

She had been shoving the welling anger and frustration down for too long and she was losing control. Her headache was pounding. It reminded her of the plane. The plane. Then being dragged through the golf course.

Suddenly her breathing became labored, caught between gasping and sobbing. She bent over to try to get her breath back as she felt the walls caving in on her.

He had been watching this stewing for weeks. He knew it was coming. "What's going on, Boots." He knew he had to say it to get her started. He wanted to grab her and hold her tight but his sessions with Joe had him better prepared. She needed to work this out on her own. But he could not leave her to face it alone or unprepared.

He heard Joe's words in his head, "She needs to talk to her therapist, Jimmy. You cannot be responsible for her rehab." But he struggled to see how Joe could be so certain about a course of action. He did not know their past. He could not understand their relationship.

Jimmy watched as she leaned against the wall, her hand to her head. He knew she was gathering herself up to plug the holes in her walls. In her mind, only Jimmy had seen this breakdown. It was unclear to him why she seemed okay with that.

Once her walls were back in place, she quickly shoved the memories into the bulging box to deal with another day. She stood up, cleared her face of all emotion and climbed into the truck. "Let's go."

Shaking his head, he climbed into the driver's seat and complied.


	8. Chapter 8

Before the blowout with the new therapist, home life had become somewhat of a ritual. Annie rarely spoke to Jimmy. It was too hard for her to maintain the energy she needed to keep her emotions locked in AND deal with her feelings toward him. So she chose to close off entirely.

Jimmy was dealing with the silent treatment for now. But it was getting old.

Highway 59 seemed the most confused. He adored Annie but he had grown close to the dominance and fair guidance of Jimmy. The stress was beginning to show on him as he would pace between the two throughout the night. Jimmy would read on the couch while Annie sat on a bar stool in the kitchen messing with her lap top. The poor dog had worn a path in the floor going back and forth.

But that night after the blowup over her new therapist, she could not concentrate. It was pushing Jimmy's buttons. He was so aggravated he had to get away. "I am going to pick up some dinner for us. What would you like?"

Thrilled at the thought of some quiet solitude to think, she mumbled, "Barbeque Ribs."

"From Gabby's? That is across town! Nevermind…fine. I'm taking 59." He stormed out maintaining composure long enough to not slam the door as he left.

The dog was agitated about leaving her behind. He was still upset about her kidnapping. But Jimmy wanted the company so he yanked 59 after him. "Come on big guy, she is fine! You do not want to hang out with that. Trust me. Now go get in the truck." He opened the door for him to jump in.

Meanwhile inside, Annie plopped onto the couch. Her headache had not subsided from earlier despite taking two aspirin. If anything it had worsened. She rubbed her temples and tried to clear her head. But her thoughts were just running wild.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there trying to calm herself down. Things were not getting better. She felt like she had been treading water and the silence of the loft was making her itch.

Finally she could take it no longer and decided that a shower would be the best way for her to wash off her headache and the weight of the world she had loaded on her back.

She stood under the spray of warm water allowing it to wash over her. She was starting to feel relaxed and calm… back in control.

Suddenly a sound came from the other room as she was drying off and she was back to the night of the kidnapping.

Annie grabbed her robe and clutched her towl as she frantically slid across the tile floor to hide behind the sink. She curled up as tight as she could and shut her eyes hoping the sound would go away. Shaking convulsively, she had absolutely no idea where she was.

The terror was so intense, she never heard Jimmy calling her name.

It was 59 who finally pushed open the bathroom door to find her hiding and he freaked. He ran out to get Jimmy, barking and dancing. Once his point had been taken, he sprinted back in to console her but she would not look up. He panted and barked and nosed through her hair, anything to get a reaction from her. But Annie just shook violently and tried to become more invisible.

Jimmy walked through the door confused and concerned. The dog had clearly been frantic. When he saw her his heart dropped and he scrambled to be next to her.

It made for a crowded corner with Annie, 59 and Jimmy all vying for space.

He grabbed her physically and slid her to him with his good arm. It was a struggle but it was all he could think to do. "Boots, it is me. Me and 59. You are safe. You are okay. Shhhhhhh. It is just us, Boots, just us…" He rocked back and forth trying to squeeze her closer and closer. He could feel her shaking convulsively.

Wasn't she prescribed some sleeping pills? Something to get ahold of this terror she had immersed herself in? And how was he going to find these and hold her close at the same time? He had to break away.

Slowly, while whispering kind words, he unwound himself from her and began to look frantically through the cabinet over the sink. There, in the corner, he found a new bottle. The label read "Valium" and the prescription date was approximately five weeks old. It was clearly what he was looking for.

When he opened the bottle, it appeared that not one pill had been taken. Once he read the label, he offered a pill to the shaking blonde marshal still at his feet. She just stared at him wide eyed but he took control. He quieted his voice and calmly stated, "Take this." She did as she was told.

-\\-

It took 20 minutes before the drug finally had an effect. Annie peeled herself out of the bathroom corner and tip-toed past Jimmy into her bedroom to change into some comfortable clothes.

Jimmy had been sitting on the side of the tub wondering what to do. He was shaken by Annie's reaction and felt helpless to get her through it. Ultimately HE had not been here when she was kidnapped. He was comfortable in knowing it was not his fault but he wasn't sure how she felt about that. Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Can you take me to see Melanie tomorrow?" she was uncharacteristically meek sounding.

He looked up at her to gauge this new reaction. She looked broken.

"Come here," he patted the tub ledge next to him. "Sit-down for a sec."

She did.

"You okay, Boots? You wanna talk about anything?"

She shook her head, "No."


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, Daisy was in the kitchen grabbing her first cup of coffee. Marco was deeply concentrated on stirring in his cream.

"You think they'll be back any time soon?" He did not take his eyes off his cup as he stirred and stirred with the spoon.

"Yup. But she has a lot more work to do than he does." She kept reading her paper but was interrupted as she headed back to her desk.

Jimmy and Annie had entered quietly and were headed down the hall. Annie looked like hell.

She watched down the hall while the blonde marshal knocked on Joe's door. When it opened, she walked right in without acknowledging the person who answered. Jimmy stood outside and shook his head.

When the door shut in front of him he let his head drop to his chest. Daisy walked down to check on him.

"Hey Cowboy, you okay?" He smiled briefly and nodded but just stood in front of the door as if glued there.

She touched his arm and gestured toward the coffee. Only then did he follow her lead toward the kitchen. She decided not to bother him with conversation.

-\\-

Inside the room, Annie sat on the couch. It was, after all these weeks, a familiar routine.

"What happened." Melanie looked at her with no expression.

"Nothing."

"Then why are you here?" The little therapist was not taking her crap.

"I don't know." Annie looked lost. Melanie realized it was time to step in and help guide her.

"Does this have anything to do with our conversation yesterday?" The blonde shook her head.

"So you are fine and there is no reason for you to be here? You are perfect…..ready to head back to work looking like you just woke up or haven't slept." She was goading Annie and they both knew it.

"Yea, I am fine. I have no idea why I came since there is no reason for me to be here." She got up to leave but found herself unable to turn the knob on the door.

"Look, those people may have been put in harm's way when they came for me but I could have taken care of myself. I already had my escape planned."

It was her last ditch effort to show her inner toughness to this woman. She would not be broken.

But when she got no reaction, she continued. "What? I would have! I can take care of myself. I can rely on myself."

"Are you going to tell me that at no point did you think that Jimmy's life was at risk because of you?" Melanie was on to something and she was not backing down.

It was the first time in Annie's life that someone had had the gall to face her like that and she had no idea how to handle herself. "What?"

"You heard me. Jimmy came for you and they beat him up and left him for dead." The therapist paused. "They kept you but they tossed him aside."

The marshal took a shaky breath in and half collapsed back to the couch. She gently touched her bad eye as she saw a tear splat on the floor in front of her. This woman was pushing so hard and Annie was too tired to push back. She was losing this battle.

"You can tell me, Annie. They used you as bait, didn't they? They had you but they wanted both of you."

She sniffled still rubbing her bad eye and quietly nodded her head.

"Do you think it was your fault? Did you let Jimmy down by putting his life in jeopardy?"

Her walls were shaking and crumbling. All the glue she could muster was doing nothing and the overwhelming exhaustion of keeping those walls up had taken its toll.

"Do you think Jimmy blames you, Annie?"

She shrugged briefly. She wanted to say no but she wasn't sure. She loved him so much… to the depths of her soul. But she could not put him in that kind of danger ever again. She could not be the reason for his pain. Was he blaming her for what happened? She didn't know.

Two more tear drops fell to the ground.

She had never broken down in her entire life. She had never cried. When her mother died she just kept going. When her dad deserted her, she just plugged along. There was no point in crying when there was no one there to console her. But this damn therapist was there. She was listening.

Annie was teetering on the edge of hysteria and she was more lost than she had ever been.

"Is Jimmy blaming you?" Melanie repeated. She knew she had pushed Annie to the point where she had never been. The next few steps would be crucial to her recovery from this horrific event. The therapist had said that last statement well aware that it was a final push.

The tears began to flow. Annie sobbed and shook her head. She couldn't stop the emotion. Her heart was breaking. The only thing that had kept her going since the kidnapping was Jimmy. They may not be speaking but he was there. She had been willing to put up with the guilt just to have his proximity. But it hadn't stopped her heart from breaking.

"I don't know" she managed to choke out.

The diminutive therapist let her patient cry. It seemed like hours to the marshal but was only 15 minutes. It just came wave after wave after wave until there was nothing left. She slumped back into the pillows almost beyond exhaustion. Her eyes were red and swollen from the tears. Her nose was running and her hair hung in her face.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Do you think Jimmy is blaming me?" She looked like she might break into another wave of tears but she held strong.

Melanie shook her head. "No…." and she stared right into the marshal's ice blue eyes. "I don't."

Annie took a deep refreshing breath and blew it out. She nodded again and gingerly wiped her eyes. Her walls were all down and she felt she had nothing to lose. Almost too quietly, she whispered, "I love him."

"Hmmmm?" had Melanie heard what she thought she had heard? There was no surprise at the words since Joe had shared with her his suspicions about these two from the beginning. The shock came from the admission. It was a massive step that she had not ever expected.

The marshal's bright blue eyes rolled up from the floor to reveal the seriousness of her statement and it almost took the therapist's breath away. Melanie had promised Joe results but had no idea she would get this far this quickly.

Annie cleared her throat and stated more sternly, "I. love. him." Heck, the walls were down, why not tell the truth?


	10. Chapter 10

She came out of her therapy beyond exhausted and headed straight for the bunks. Her head was pounding and her vision was spinning. It was so bad that she walked right past Jimmy and Marco chatting by the kitchen without even seeing them.

Jimmy looked at Marco concerned. Marco nodded for him to follow her, their conversation was over anyway and from the look of Annie, she needed help.

The red-headed marshal trotted into the bunks. His heart was starting to pound. What had happened in therapy today? Did she mention last night?

He entered the room cautiously waiting to duck Annie's wrath but there she sat, hunched over with her back to him. He walked over and sat next to her. She leaned over and placed her head on his good shoulder.

They sat like that for a few minutes until he felt her arms slide around him and she pulled him tighter to her. He did what he had wanted to do for weeks; he put his good arm around her. But that wasn't enough for her. She reached her head off of his shoulder, leaning back slightly she closed her eyes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

Jimmy felt himself sigh. He closed his eyes and let himself go. She turned and climbed into his lap, straddling him so she could put her arms around his neck and deepen the kisses she seemed frantic to share.

In seconds Annie guided him down to the bed as she lay over him, careful of his still tender ribs and injured shoulder. She backed off for a moment to wipe her eyes. It was the first time that he noticed she was crying. He reached up and gently held her face with his good arm.

"What's up, Boots. What happened in there." His deep voice was gravelly with emotion. His question required an answer which meant she would have to tell him what she was going through. She wanted to flinch, put up her walls and run from him but she couldn't anymore. The walls had fallen and it was just too hard to rebuild them.

Instead she looked down at him with her swollen bright blue eyes. Her mind was swimming with things she wanted to say but couldn't organize.

He misunderstood her reaction as her protecting herself and he began to back-pedal but she interrupted him immediately.

"No no no, Jimmy. I am sorry. I have so much to say, I don't know where to start." She rolled off him to lie on the bed.

He chuckled slightly. "So, you like your new therapist?" She punched him in the arm and giggled until he moaned in fake pain.

"Oh Jeez! Did I hit your bad shoulder?" She jumped up terrified she had hurt him. He just started giggling again and grabbed her to him.

"You LIAR!" she pretended to be furious but broke into her own giggles as she lay half on him and felt relief and relaxation wash over her.

Then, through the silence, he asked, "what did happen in therapy today, Boots?"

"I am not sure what to say yet. I am not keeping secrets. I promise. But I don't know how to say everything yet." She sighed and lifted her head to look at his face. "Can you wait for me to get there?"

He nodded and smiled. She oonched up his body to place another kiss on his lips but could only put in half the effort as her injured leg was too weak and sore.

In between kisses came the words, "I…. can….wait….as…long…as…you…need" and he rolled her over with his good arm to lie on top. But it didn't work.

"Oww… crap…" the pain ripped through his shoulder from this angle and he grunted as he flopped back onto the bed.

"I guess we need to heal a bit more before fooling around, don't we?" She gently pulled herself out from under him and helped them both get into a more comfortable position where they did all they could do for now….. cuddle.


	11. Chapter 11

"Well, Jimmy, I am happy to say that your shoulder is healing nicely. The Physical Therapy you have been doing has been keeping everything mobile. The x-ray of your collar bone is looking very good. I think we will consider keeping the plate in there for now. Is it bothering you?"

"No ma'am, it feels just fine."

"And your ribs feel completely repaired. You don't feel any pain when I put pressure on them?"

"No ma'am, they feel good to go."

"And your lung capacity, I see you have been running on the treadmill. Have you had any shortness of breath or pain?"

"Nope, I'm good."

"Then I think we can pretty much say that you are released from my care. I have written a prescription for continued Physical Therapy. When the PT thinks you are strong enough, she can release you for shooting practice. Your ribs feel good and your collar bone is healed just fine now but I think you need a bit more muscle rebuilding before you can begin shooting, okay?"

"Yep, sounds good!" He pulled on his shirt and jumped off the examining room table to button it up.

"You are looking healthy again! Looking forward to going back to work?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Alright, here is your release form from me. I have a copy in your files here. If you need anything or have any pain, let me know, okay?"

"I will. Thank you" and he walked out of the room to head out the front door of the hospital for the last time.

Annie sat in the car playing with her phone. She had come with him to his appointment but could not bring herself to enter the hospital waiting room. She looked up when the driver's side swung open. Her partner stood there slingless. It took her a moment to realize. Suddenly her face broke into the biggest smile she had had in months. "JIMMY! You don't have a sling!"

"Nope. I've been released by the doctor. Now I just have to pass with my physical therapist…. and Joe, and I am back to work!" He piled into the SUV and started up the engine.

He looked over at his beautiful passenger. Since that fateful day in the bunks, Annie had kept the walls down for Jimmy but ONLY Jimmy. They had been supporting each other for the past 4 weeks, going to therapy sessions and PT together. It had worked better than he could have imagined. That sparkle she had before the nightmare was back – so was her spark.

"Lucky you" that spark side pouted. "You will get to go back to work but I still have to be released. You will get to have stuff to do. I am going to go insane with nothing to do." She was seriously putting herself in a mood. "awesome."

"Annie, that is ridiculous. You have your final appointment for your leg tomorrow. Even your PT said you were coming along better than expected! I am sure you will be released. I still have to get my shoulder ready for shooting practice. Now quit pouting. Where do you want to eat?" He pulled the truck into traffic and headed down the road.

"I'm not hungry."

"Annie, come on. This cannot really have you this mad." But she kept staring out the window.

When he drove past their favorite lunch spot without even slowing down, she reacted, "Hey!"

But he just shook his head and chuckled, "you said you weren't hungry!"

She snorted, "I'm not" and turned back to the window.

They drove in silence for about 10 minutes and he turned the SUV into the parking lot of his destination. He initially had thought that her sullen attitude was nothing. But she clearly was upset. Her funk had unhinged him. Things had been so good, so positive for so long that he had forgotten how to deal with her frustrating side.

"Why are we at the shooting range?" She spat the words out like venom, "you can't shoot yet."

"Something wrong with your arms? Your shoulder? Your hands?" He pressed the lever to park, turned off the ignition and turned to face her.

"What?"

"YOU can shoot. I cannot. So we are here bc that will put you ahead of me." He knew giving in to her sulking was not a good idea but he just couldn't help himself because here it came…

Annie's face broke into a massive grin from ear to ear. Her eyes lit up like flashlights. "I can shoot!"

His attitude lit up in reflection. Her happiness was always contagious with him. Now, apparently, so was her bad attitude and he could not afford to take any steps backward at this point. He was too happy at being released.

They entered the familiar storefront and ambled down to the actual range, stopping only to check out a rental gun on the way. They had not brought their own. Jimmy stood behind her as she carefully aimed the rifle at the paper outline a quarter of a mile away.

-\\-

The shooting range had been just what the doctor ordered. Annie was decidedly happier then she had been. She had scored through the roof and clearly would have no problem being reinstated from that stand-point.

She was still bragging when they headed to their Physical Therapy appointments two hours later.

But on their way home, both were silent. He wasn't sure if it was because she was as tired and sore as he was or if she was in another one of her moods.

She rolled her head over to look at him. "Wanna pick up something to eat?" It wasn't traditionally her thing to discuss food. That was usually his territory. But his stomach rumbled in response so he pulled into a nearby Diner parking lot.

They heaved their sore, exhausted bodies out of the truck and shuffled in to order.

The food invigorated both of them and in no time they were laughing their way back to the loft. The night progressed happily until it came time to get ready for bed.

Annie clutched her robe and apprehensively approached the bathroom. Jimmy watched her out of the corner of his eye. This was a moment he had been dreading for her. She cautiously went in and he heard the water turn on. He waited….and waited….and waited. He did not hear the distinctive sound of water hitting body so he headed toward the door.

As he entered the bathroom his eyes scanned from corner to corner until they found her. There she sat, in under the sink in her special spot. She wasn't shaking this time so he wouldn't need the Valium. He wasn't sure what to do until Annie looked up at him and stood up.

She stood there, miserable. Jimmy did the only thing he could think of. He reached for her hand to guide her. He would stay in the bathroom so that she was not alone. She took his hand and headed toward the running water.

From behind he gently pulled her brand new puffy robe off her shoulders as she stepped between the shower curtains into the shower. He tried to wait again, but the urge was too strong…

She stood frozen in the warm water unable to close her eyes or become distracted by soap or shampoo… until he stepped in and joined her.

He gently kissed her as he grabbed the bar of soap and began helping her soap up. With the fluffy white wash cloth he rinsed the bubbles off her body. His delicate touch was making her dizzy and she reached up to steady herself.

With both hands on his chest her eyes caught the pink scar from his shoulder surgery. She slowly leaned in and kissed it then paused before she continued kissing up his neck as high as she could reach until she was nibbling on his earlobe.

He let out a small moan, dropped the washcloth and pulled her to him.

She reached up on her tip-toes to catch his fervent kissing. His hand slid from her face to massage her breasts.

She gasped at the pleasure and shifted her arms up to pull his head to her . She slowed the kisses making them deeper and more passionate.

It was all the encouragement he needed and she could feel how ready he was. He deserted the gentle massage of her breasts to cup her bottom lifting her to his level.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and allowed him to enter her. Slowly she began to rock her hips back and forth. He was breathing heavily with each movement she made and she could tell he liked it. Making him happy became her focus but he had other ideas as he backed away from her kisses, bent his head down and began to gently suckle her nipples. Annie arched her back to provide him better access. It felt so good.

They were both out of breath.

This time it was Annie's turn to moan. With each tug and flip of his tongue on her nipple, she would gyrate more until both were rhythmically undulating and groaning.

Suddenly Annie could take it no more. The pleasure of his touch was taking her to heights she had never felt. Her heart was going to burst and she squeezed him tighter. Rocking her hips more rapidly as her head fell back, she let out an unbridled sigh of happiness.

The urgency of her motions took Jimmy over the edge. He wanted to make sure she found pleasure first but it was too much and he couldn't control himself. He held her body tight to him. It wasn't until he reached his climax that he realized she had joined him.

In their fervor, they both almost fell over until Jimmy reluctantly took one hand off of her and placed it on the wall to steady them. She just held on as tight as she could.

The two looked like prunes when they finally emerged from the shower wearing two satisfied smiles and a holding their quiet secret in their hearts.

The rest of the night they barely parted using every opportunity to touch each other. The connection bristled with electricity and both were unable to resist each other. They went to bed early but neither was particularly ready to sleep. Too much had happened that day and they didn't want it to end.

At one point, Annie rolled over with that suspicious grin on her face. Jimmy was glad that he had been working out in his PT sessions. It was going to be a wonderfully fulfilling night and he needed to be physically fit!


	12. Chapter 12

Marco was doing his usual morning paperwork at his desk. Since Annie and Jimmy had been gone, their team had been assigned the bulk of paperwork for the department. The Chief had not intended to make it a punishment. It had just been a necessity until their leaders were back. But over two months of desk work was making Daisy, Luke and Marco feisty and frustrated.

Like brothers and sisters, the three had begun bickering the past 3 weeks and frequently weren't speaking to each other. Bouff had had enough. He missed Annie's drive and focus. He yearned to hear Jimmy keeping her in line. He was just about to go whine to Chief Edwards for the 4th time that month when he ran into the two coming in for their regular therapy session.

Annie appeared animated, just a live wire of excitement. Jimmy was rolling his eyes behind her and stirring the pot. Bouff looked at the floor and chuckled to himself. This was the happiest he had seen the partners in many months. Then it hit him. He looked up again to see Jimmy grab Annie in a headlock as they wandered down the hall .

"Yep" Daisy startled him from his thoughts. "I saw it too."

"Are they…?"

Daisy shrugged as her answer. If they weren't by now, something was wrong.

He smiled. "You think they'll be back to work soon?"

She paused in her walk to the kitchen to respond. "I think they are just waiting for their final releases from PT. Jimmy has to pass the shooting range, again. Should be soon now." And as she walked away, he heard her mutter, "not soon enough for me."

**I hope everyone liked this story. I apologize profusely for the love scene. I am CLEARLY NOT good at writing that so hopefully, in my next story, I will get better.**

**Any suggestions are MORE than welcome – positive OR negative.**


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